U.S. patent number 5,927,774 [Application Number 08/441,984] was granted by the patent office on 1999-07-27 for door lock bracket and method of making same.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Zenith Industrial Corporation. Invention is credited to Timothy Paul Granger.
United States Patent |
5,927,774 |
Granger |
July 27, 1999 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
Door lock bracket and method of making same
Abstract
A door lock bracket for serving as a striker which secures an
automobile door closed in conjunction with a door latching
assembly. The door lock bracket is formed from a one-piece stamping
which includes a flange portion for mounting the door lock bracket
to the door post of the automobile, an apertured portion for
receiving the door's latching mechanism, and a base portion
interconnecting the flange and apertured portions. The door lock
bracket is structurally uncomplicated, so as to facilitate the
manufacture of the door lock bracket using a relatively simple
multiple-step bending operation. As a result, the door lock bracket
is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, yet can be formed to be
strong and structurally rigid for extended and repeated use
throughout the life of the automobile.
Inventors: |
Granger; Timothy Paul (Fraser,
MI) |
Assignee: |
Zenith Industrial Corporation
(Clinton Township, MI)
|
Family
ID: |
22361908 |
Appl.
No.: |
08/441,984 |
Filed: |
May 16, 1995 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
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115516 |
Sep 1, 1993 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
292/340;
292/216 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E05B
85/045 (20130101); Y10T 292/68 (20150401); Y10T
292/1047 (20150401) |
Current International
Class: |
E05B
15/02 (20060101); E05B 15/00 (20060101); F05B
015/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;292/340,341.12,341.13,216,337,DIG.40,DIG.56 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Boucher; Darnell M.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Vanophem Meehan & Vanophem,
P.C.
Parent Case Text
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/115,516, filed
Sep. 1, 1993 now abandoned.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A one piece stamped door lock bracket comprising:
a base portion having one end and an opposite end;
a planar flange portion complementary with and attached to said one
end of said base portion;
an apertured portion having one end complementary with and attached
to said opposite end of said base portion, said apertured portion
having an upstanding flange integral with said opposite end of said
base portion and disposed transverse to said planar flange portion,
said apertured portion extending in a direction perpendicular to
both said planar flange portion attached to said one end of said
base portion and said upstanding flange at said one end of said
apertured portion attached to said opposite end of said base
portion;
an aperture in said opposite end of said apertured portion; and
means for securing said opposite end of said apertured portion to
said planar flange portion complementary with and attached to said
one end of said base portion.
2. A one piece stamped door lock bracket comprising:
a base portion having one end and an opposite end, a planar flange
portion complementary with and attached to said one end of said
base portion, and an apertured portion having one end complementary
with said opposite end of said base portion and an opposite end
extending in a direction away from said base portion;
a first transversely deformed portion interposed between said base
portion and said apertured portion, said first transversely
deformed portion deforming said apertured portion with respect to
said base portion such that said apertured portion is substantially
perpendicular to said planar flange portion of said base
portion;
a second transversely deformed portion integral with said apertured
portion of said opposite end of said base portion, said second
transversely deformed portion deforming said apertured portion with
respect to said one end of said base portion such that said
apertured portion is substantially perpendicular to said one end of
said base portion and said first transversely deformed portion;
and
means for securing said opposite end of said apertured portion to
said planar flange portion.
3. The door lock bracket of claim 2 wherein said securing means
comprises a permanent joint attaching said apertured portion to
said planar flange portion.
4. The door lock bracket of claim 1 wherein said aperture has an
axis which is substantially parallel to said planar flange
portion.
5. The door lock bracket of claim 2 wherein said apertured portion
partitions said planar flange portion into substantially
symmetrical halves.
6. The door lock bracket of claims 2 wherein said second
transversely deformed portion is aligned substantially
perpendicular to said first transversely deformed portion.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to automobile door lock
brackets which secure the door of an automobile in a closed
position by serving as a striker for a door latching mechanism.
More specifically, this invention relates to a door lock bracket
which can be readily manufactured as a one-piece stamping,
rendering a strong and rigid bracket which can be manufactured at a
relatively low cost.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Automobile doors are conventionally secured in a closed position
with a latching mechanism that is mounted to the door, which
engages a striker mounted to the door post. Often, the latching
mechanism is a spring-loaded slotted or fork-shaped member whose
slot engages a portion of the striker when the door is closed. To
accommodate this type of latching mechanism, typical striker
designs include a post which extends perpendicularly from the door
post, as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,591,225 to Hagemeyer, or a
U-shaped tubular member as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,466,645
to Kobayashi, U.S. Pat. No. 4,470,626 to Gergoe et al. and U.S.
Pat. No. 4,941,696 to Yamada et al. The U-shaped strikers also
generally extend perpendicularly from the door post, with the
latching mechanism straddling a single leg of the U-shaped fork
when the door is closed, such that one leg of the fork extends
through the opening formed by the U-shaped striker with the door
post.
While the above types of strikers are relatively simple in their
design, the fabrication of such strikers can be somewhat
complicated, often requiring the forming and machining of an
extrusion. Such processing steps generally result in a relatively
expensive component, which is highly undesirable in the competitive
automotive industry.
In comparison, strikers formed from stampings offer the potential
for a less expensive component, in view of the simplified
processing involved. Such stamped strikers are known in the art, as
evidenced by U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,892 to Kleefeldt et al., U.S. Pat.
No. 4,883,298 to Kleefeldt, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,106,134 and
5,125,698 to Thau. Generally, the strikers taught by Kleefeldt et
al. and Kleefeldt are somewhat complicated in their shape, and
require some degree of assembly. The striker taught by Kleefeldt et
al. includes a wedge-shaped body from which a pair of flanges
extend oppositely for mounting the striker to the door post of an
automobile. Each side of the wedge has an aperture formed therein
for receiving a leg of a fork-shaped latching mechanism. The
striker taught by Kleefeldt includes a U-shaped yoke, one leg of
which is enlarged to form a pair of flanges for mounting the
striker to the door post. A bolt extends between the legs of the
U-shaped yoke and supports a hardened sleeve for engaging and
receiving a fork-shaped latching mechanism. The strikers taught by
Kleefeldt et al. and Kleefeldt each require a sequence of stamping
operations, as well as some degree of assembly, all of which add
undesirable costs to the final end product.
The strikers taught by Thau are also somewhat complicated by their
geometry. Both teach a rectangular-shaped head member composed of a
pair of members which are folded onto each other, such that the
members are juxtaposed. Each juxtaposed member includes a flange
which extends perpendicular from the head member for mounting the
striker to the door post. The juxtaposed members each have an
aperture which are aligned to form an opening in the head member
for receiving one leg of a fork-shaped latching mechanism. In
addition, the juxtaposed members are formed to provide a
wedge-shape to the head member. While the strikers taught by Thau
are somewhat less complicated than that taught by Kleefeldt and
Kleefeldt et al., in that they are a one-piece stamping, it is
apparent that their structure requires a relatively complicated
sequence of stamping operations, which again contributes
undesirable costs to the final end product.
From the above discussion, it can be readily appreciated that the
prior art does not disclose a relatively inexpensive one-piece
striker for an automobile door which can be readily manufactured
from a single stamping without the requirement for a complex
forming sequence, assembly and/or geometry. Consequently, such
strikers are relatively expensive to manufacture, resulting in
additional and undesirable costs to the overall price of an
automobile. In addition, the complexity of such strikers
complicates their repair and replacement, which increases warranty
repair costs for the manufacturer and/or has the potential for
passing on repair costs to the consumer.
Accordingly, what is needed is a relatively inexpensive striker for
an automobile door, wherein the striker is characterized by an
uncomplicated geometry so as to facilitate its manufacture from a
single stamping, and wherein the striker is compatible with
conventional slotted or fork-shaped latching mechanisms used in the
automotive industry.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided a door lock
bracket suitable for use with a slotted or fork-shaped latching
mechanism to secure a door of an automobile in a closed position.
The door lock bracket is formed from a one-piece stamping which
requires only a single flange portion for mounting the door lock
bracket to the door post of the automobile, and a single apertured
portion for receiving the door's latching mechanism. Accordingly,
the door lock bracket is structurally uncomplicated. Furthermore,
the uncomplicated structure of the door lock bracket facilitates
its manufacture through a simple two-step bending operation. As a
result, the door lock bracket of this invention is relatively
inexpensive to manufacture, which is a highly desirable advantage
in the automotive industry. In addition, the configuration of the
door lock bracket promotes its strength and structural rigidity for
repeated use throughout the life of the automobile.
The door lock bracket includes a flange portion for mounting the
door lock bracket to a suitable support member, such as the door
post of an automobile, an apertured portion having an aperture
sized to receive a leg of a slotted or fork-shaped latching
mechanism, and a base portion intermediate and interconnected with
the flange and apertured portions. The flange portion, base portion
and apertured portion together define a unitary stamped member. The
base portion has a first deformed region which joins the flange
portion to the base portion such that the flange portion is
substantially perpendicular to the base portion. The base portion
further has a second deformed region disposed opposite the first
deformed region. The second deformed region joins the apertured
portion to the base portion such that the apertured portion is also
substantially perpendicular to the base portion. Preferably, the
apertured portion is also oriented to be substantially
perpendicular to the flange portion. As such, when the door lock
bracket is secured to the door post with the flange portion, the
apertured portion will extend perpendicularly from the door post so
as to provide a suitable striker for the door's latching mechanism.
To structurally reinforce the door lock bracket, it is preferable
that the apertured portion abut the flange portion, and more
preferably, that the apertured portion be permanently joined to the
flange portion by welding or brazing.
The method by which the door lock bracket of this invention is
manufactured generally includes forming a substantially planar
member having the flange portion, the apertured portion oppositely
disposed from the flange portion, and the base portion intermediate
the flange portion and the apertured portion. In such a
configuration, the planar member generally has a U-shape, with the
flange and apertured portions forming the legs of the U. The base
portion is then bent so as to orient the apertured portion to be
substantially perpendicular to the flange portion. Generally, the
bending operation involves bending a first portion of the base
portion such that the flange portion is substantially perpendicular
to the base portion, and then bending a second portion of the base
portion such that the flange portion is also substantially
perpendicular to the base portion, as well as the apertured
portion. Consequently, there are generally three defined planar
portions of the door lock bracket, each of which is substantially
perpendicular to the other portions. As indicated above, a
preferred additional processing step is to permanently join the
flange portion to the apertured portion after the bending step via
a welding or brazing operation.
According to a preferred aspect of this invention, the above
structure and method for forming the door lock bracket is
relatively simple, particularly in comparison to prior art
strikers. The entire door lock bracket is formed from a single
stamping, with the only additional hardware required being
fasteners for mounting the door lock bracket to the door post.
Because the door lock bracket is structurally uncomplicated, its
installation is also uncomplicated, both features being highly
desirable in terms of installation on a mass production assembly
line. Such features are also desirable from the standpoint of
repairs and replacement, whether during assembly of the automobile
or any time thereafter.
In addition, a significant advantage of the present invention is
that the manner by which the door lock bracket can be manufactured
is relatively uncomplicated, primarily requiring only stamping and
bending operations. Accordingly, the cost for manufacturing the
door lock bracket can potentially be significantly less than that
for other strikers known in the prior art. The simplified
manufacturing process involved in forming the door lock bracket
also has the advantageous effect of reducing manufacturing expenses
resulting from the cost of the equipment used to form the bracket,
as well as their maintenance and repair.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a
door lock bracket for securing a door of an automobile in a closed
position in conjunction with a latching mechanism mounted to the
door.
It is a further object of the invention that the door lock bracket
be structurally uncomplicated, such that a minimal number of
manufacturing processes are required to fabricate the door lock
bracket, yet structurally strong and rigid for repeated use
throughout the life of the automobile.
It is still a further object of the invention that the door lock
bracket be composed primarily of a flange portion for mounting the
door lock bracket to the automobile, and an apertured portion which
serves as a striker for the latching mechanism of the door.
It is another object of the invention to provide a relatively low
cost method for manufacturing the door lock mechanism of this
invention.
It is yet another object of the invention that the method primarily
consists of stamping and bending operations.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will be more
apparent after a reading of the following detailed description
taken in conjunction with the drawings provided.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a door lock bracket in accordance
with a preferred embodiment of this invention;
FIG. 2 is a side view of the door lock bracket of FIG. 1,
illustrating in phantom lines the as-stamped configuration of the
door lock bracket as well as a slotted latching mechanism suitable
for use in conjunction with the door lock bracket;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a first bending operation
used in the fabrication of the door lock bracket of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a second bending
operation used in the fabrication of the door lock bracket of FIG.
1; and
FIG. 5 is a side view of a door lock bracket in accordance with a
second embodiment of this invention, illustrating in phantom lines
the as-stamped configuration of the door lock bracket.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a door lock bracket
10 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of this invention. As
illustrated, the door lock bracket 10 is composed of a one-piece
stamping which is formed through a series of bending operations to
form a striker for a door of an automobile (not shown). The
following description will specifically refer to the use of the
present invention within the environment of an automobile passenger
door for purposes of clarity, so as to assist in an understanding
of the disclosure. However, the teachings of the present invention
are not limited to automobile passenger doors, and can be readily
adapted by one skilled in the art to other automotive applications,
such as a striker for the trunk or hatch of an automobile, as well
as non-automotive applications.
The door lock bracket 10 of this invention generally includes an
apertured portion 12, a flange portion 14 and a base portion 22.
The apertured portion 12 has an aperture 16 formed therein which is
preferably rectangular in shape. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the
shape and size of the aperture 16 are predetermined to receive one
leg of a latch 34 of a door latching mechanism, for the purpose of
securing the door in a closed position. The flange portion 14 is
generally wedge-shaped by a pair of beveled portions 18, and
includes a pair of mounting holes 20 through which a corresponding
pair of fasteners 30 are inserted for mounting the door lack
bracket 10 to a door post 32 of the automobile. As is conventional,
the mounting holes 20 may be countersunk to enable the fasteners 30
to be installed flush with the surface of the flange portion
14.
As best seen in FIG. 2, the apertured portion 12 is oriented
relative to the flange portion 14 so as to generally partition the
flange portion 14 into two substantially symmetrical halves, each
of which includes one of the mounting holes 20. To add structural
rigidity to this configuration, a tab 26 is preferably formed on
the apertured portion 12 for engaging a slot 24 formed in the
flange portion 14, so as to stabilize the position of the apertured
portion 12 relative to the flange portion 14. In addition, the
apertured and flange portions 12 and 14 are preferably welded
together so as to form a weld joint 28 which secures the tab 26
within the slot 24.
Prior to forming, the as-stamped configuration of the door lock
bracket 10 is generally a U-shaped planar member 36, shown in
phantom in FIG. 2. The apertured and flange portions 12 and 14
define legs of the U-shaped planar member 36, with the base portion
22 defining the base of the U so as to interconnect the apertured
and flange portions 12 and 14. To form the door lock bracket 10,
the U-shaped planar member 36 is bent along line A to orient the
apertured portion 12 to be substantially perpendicular to the base
portion 22, and along line B to orient the flange portion 14 to
also be substantially perpendicular to the base portion 22. In so
doing, the tab 26 of the apertured portion 12 is brought into
engagement with the slot 24 of the flange portion 14, such that the
apertured portion 12 is oriented to be substantially perpendicular
to the flange portion 14.
Obviously, the perpendicular relationships described above are
provided in terms of a preferred embodiment. It is well within the
scope of one skilled in the art to alter the orientations of the
individual members of the door lock bracket 10 to be other than
perpendicular. Accordingly, while the present invention will
generally be discussed in terms of the apertured portion 12 being
substantially perpendicular to the flange portion 14 and base
portion 22, the teachings of the present invention are not to be
interpreted as being limited to this specific configuration.
The method by which the door lock bracket 10 of this invention is
formed from the U-shaped planar member 36 is generally as follows.
The U-shaped planar member 36 can generally be stamped in
accordance with conventional practices, which include forming the
aperture 16, mounting holes 20, and slot 24. Alternatively, such
features may be formed by secondary machining operations, though at
a relatively higher cost.
Most preferably, the material for the door lock bracket 10 is a
high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) steel, such as SAE 1050 or SAE 1065,
which is a material noted for its toughness. However, it is
foreseeable that the mechanical properties required will vary
according to the particular application for the door lock bracket
10, such that low carbon and other low-alloy steels could be used.
The choice of material affects the required thickness of the
U-shaped planar member 36 for a given application. For the
preferred 950C material, a thickness of about five millimeters has
been found to be suitable for use with an automobile passenger
door, though greater or lesser thicknesses may be preferred,
depending on the requirements for the application.
Once the desired shape of the U-shaped planar member 36 is
obtained, and the aperture 16 and mounting holes 20 have been
formed therein, the apertured and flange portions 12 and 14 are
bent relative to the base portion 22 to attain the configuration
shown in FIG. 1. As illustrated in FIG. 3, it is preferable to form
an approximately 90 degree bend along line A to properly orient the
apertured portion 12 relative to the base portion 22. As is well
known in the art, such an operation involves plastically deforming
the region of the base portion 22 along line A. It is noted that
conventional practices for controlling the amount of distortion in
the plastically deformed region, as well as the prevention of tears
and surface fractures in this region, should be adopted to ensure
the structural integrity of the door lock bracket 10, as is within
the scope of one skilled in the art.
FIG. 4 illustrates the second bending operation, which involves
forming an approximately 90 degree bend along line B to properly
orient the apertured portion 12 relative to the flange portion 14.
Preferably, and as shown, this bending operation results in the
flange portion 14 being oriented substantially perpendicular to the
base portion 22, such that the axis of the aperture 16 is
substantially parallel to the flange portion 14. As can be seen in
FIG. 4, the bend between the flange portion 14 and the base portion
22 is preferably formed last so as to enable the tab 26 projecting
from the apertured portion 12 to properly engage the slot 24 formed
in the flange portion 14. However, it is foreseeable that the
operations could be reversed, particularly if the tab 26 and slot
24 are omitted from the structure of the door lock bracket 10.
Following this final bending operation, the weld joint 28 shown in
FIG. 1 can be formed as a secondary operation to permanently attach
the apertured portion 12 to the flange portion 14 by securing the
tab 26 within the slot 24.
As a result of the above method, the apertured portion 12 forms a
striker 12a against which the latch 34 forcibly engages to secure
the door in a closed position. To promote the dimensional accuracy
of the striker 12a, as well as its strength and hardness, it is
preferable to coin the region of the apertured portion 12
corresponding to the striker 12a in accordance with conventional
practices well known to those skilled in the art. Such an operation
can be most readily performed before the bending operations
described above, though coining the striker 12a after the bending
operations is also foreseeable.
FIG. 5 illustrates a door lock bracket 40 in accordance with a
second embodiment of this invention. After forming, the door lock
bracket 40 generally has the same appearance as the door lock
bracket 10 of the first embodiment. The door lock bracket 40
includes an apertured portion 42, a flange portion 44 and a base
portion 52. The apertured portion 42 includes a rectangular hole 46
for receiving one leg of a slotted latch (not shown), while the
flange portion has beveled edges 48 and includes a pair of
countersunk mounting holes 50.
However, the as-stamped configuration of the door lock bracket 40
differs from that of the first embodiment, as can be seen from the
outline shown in phantom. The primary difference is that a flange
section 54 is formed contiguously with the apertured portion 42,
with the flange portion 44 being roughly half of that shown in
FIGS. 1 through 4. Consequently, the bending operation involves
forming a third bend along line C to orient the flange section 54
to be substantially perpendicular to the apertured portion 42.
Otherwise, the bending operations include forming an approximately
90 degree bend along lines D and E, corresponding to lines A and B
of FIG. 2. Most preferably, the apertured portion 42 will be welded
to the flange portion 44 to impart added rigidity to the door lock
bracket 40.
From the above, it can be seen that a significant advantage of the
door lock brackets 10 and 40 of the present invention is that they
are structurally strong and rigid, yet relatively uncomplicated,
particularly in comparison to prior art strikers formed from
extrusions or stampings. The door lock brackets 10 and 40 are each
formed from a single stamping, and require additional hardware only
for the purpose of mounting the door lock brackets 10 and 40 to a
door post. Because the door lock brackets 10 and 40 are
structurally uncomplicated, their installation, repair and
replacement are also relatively uncomplicated, which is highly
desirable in terms of mass production practices in the automotive
industry. Furthermore, ease of installation, repair and replacement
are also important from the standpoint of minimizing repair and
replacement costs, whether during assembly of the automobile, while
under warranty by the manufacturer, or at the expense of the
consumer.
In addition, a significant advantage of the present invention is
that the method by which the door lock brackets 10 and 40 are
formed is relatively uncomplicated, primarily requiring only
stamping and bending operations. Accordingly, the cost for
producing the door lock brackets 10 and 40 is potentially
significantly less than that for other forms of strikers known in
the prior art. The simplified forming process involved in
manufacturing the door lock brackets 10 and 40 also potentially has
the advantageous effect of reducing manufacturing expenses
attributable to the cost of the equipment used to form the
brackets, as well as the maintenance and repair of such
equipment.
In addition, with minimal modifications the advantages of the door
lock brackets 10 and 40 of this invention can be realized when used
with other latching mechanisms and within other applications.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a door lock bracket
which serves as a striker for securing a door closed in conjunction
with a door latching assembly. The door lock bracket is formed from
a one-piece stamping which is composed primarily of a flange
portion for mounting the door lock bracket to the door post of an
automobile, and an apertured portion for receiving the door's
latching mechanism. The door lock bracket is, therefore,
structurally uncomplicated, so as to facilitate the manufacture of
the door lock bracket using a relatively simple multiple-step
bending operation. As a result, the door lock bracket of this
invention is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, which is a
highly desirable advantage in the automotive industry.
While the invention has been described in terms of a preferred
embodiment, it is apparent that other forms could be adopted by one
skilled in the art. For example, the size and shape of the
apertured and flange portions 12 and 14 could be altered from that
shown in the drawings, the apertured portion 12 could be
positionally maintained relative to the flange portion 14 with
another suitable feature other than the tab 26 and slot 24 or weld
28, and the door lock brackets 10 and 40 could be adapted for use
in applications other than the passenger door of an automobile.
Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be limited only by
the following claims.
* * * * *